31 Sunni prisoners are detained in ward 7 of hall 21 of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj in an unfavorable condition. This report that is gathered by Human Rights Activists (HRANA) examines the conditions in Rajai Shahr Prison and as well, the condition of 31 Sunni political prisoners who were kept in this prison. The information of this report was gathered from the sources inside the prison. Several prisoners contacted HRANA while incarcerated in Rajai Shahr Prison or after they were released.

Prison conditions

Lack of hygiene products and sanitary necessities in the prison during the Coronavirus outbreak has raised concerns among these prisoners. Some of these prisoners, who are serving their rather long imprisonment sentences in exile, suffer from various illnesses such as shortness of breath, neck and knee arthritis, and herniated disc. As a result of the location of this hall and high humidity in the ward, the majority of the prisoners suffer from respiratory diseases. Also, unsafe and unpurified drinking-water caused kidney problems such as kidney stones for many of these prisoners. Moreover, malnutrition has weakened them physically. In addition, many of these prisoners suffer from psychiatric disorders as a result of the tortures they endured during their interrogation or detentions.

Other issues

In addition, most of these prisoners were transferred to Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj from different towns across Iran, thus, long distances and the costs of transportation to and from their towns has led to fewer family visits for these prisoners.

In recent years, these prisoners have been subject to attacks and violent searches that led to the destruction of their belongings. In the latest attack on February 6, 2019, the security forces including the agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and more than 200 of the prison guards attacked ward 7 of hall 21 of this prison, confiscated and distracted belongings of these prisoners, and beat several of these prisoners.

31 Sunni prisoners of Rajai Shahr Prison

There are 31 Sunni prisoners with political or security charges in this prison. The latest list of the names of these prisoners and their health condition is complied by HRANA as follows:

1.Teymour Naderizadeh – arrest: June 2010 – charges: membership and collaboration with Salafi groups – sentence: 12 years of imprisonment – notes: he was first sentenced to death but after three years, his sentence was reduced to 12 years imprisonment.

2.Saeed Karimi – charges: membership in ISIS, act against the national security, waging war against God (Moharebeh) – sentence: death – health condition: he suffers from Diabetes and shortness of breath – notes: he left the country for a while and was allegedly joined the ISIS but returned and was arrested after two months.

3.Barzan Nasrollahzadeh – arrest: June 2010 – charges: waging war against God (Moharebeh) – sentence: death – health condition: he suffers from kidney stones, gastrointestinal discomfort, and herniated disc. He is physically very weak because of missing spleen – notes: when he was 17 years old, he was arrested by the security forces on the back from school. He was shot 5 times at the time of arrest in which he lost his spleen.

4.Abdolrahman Sangani – arrest: 2010 – charges: waging war against God (Moharebeh) through supporting Salafi groups – sentence: he was initially sentenced to death but his sentence was reduced to life in prison – health condition: he suffers from respiratory disease and due to a severe infection of his eye, he has lost vision in one of his eyes. Also, due to an accident before being arrested, half of his body is numb.

6.Abdollah Shariati – arrest: July 2011 – charges: waging war against God (Moharebeh) through membership in an opposition group – sentence: 10 years imprisonment – health condition: has undergone two operation on his neck discs and suffers from asthma and herniated disc.

7.Farshid Naseri – arrest: 2010 – charges: membership and collaboration with a Salafi group – sentence: 12 years imprisonment – health condition: he suffers from herniated disc and arthritis in the knee and the neck.

8.Firouz Hamidi – arrest: 2010 – charges: charges: waging war against God (Moharebeh) through membership in a Salafi group – sentence: 20 years imprisonment – health condition: he lost a kidney. He suffers from shortness of breath and stomach disease, so he is physically weak, and he only weighs 45 Kg.

9.Khosro Besharat – arrest: January 2010 – charges: involvement in assasination of Mamusta Abdolrahim Tina, membership in a Salafi group, corruption on earth, act against the national security and propaganda against the state – sentence: death – health condition: he suffers from psychiatric diseases but the prison authorities refuse to provide him with his medications.

11.Borhan Asgharian – arrest: 2012 – charges: act against the national security and waging war against God (Moharebeh) through membership in a Salafi group – sentence: 10 years imprisonment – health condition: he suffers from herniated disc and in need of a surgery.

12.Tohid Ghoreishi – arrest: April 2014 – charges: assembly and collusion with an intent to act against the national security, supporting opposition groups, and propaganda against the state – sentence: 16 years imprisonment – notes: he was previously sentenced to 5 years imprisonment which was completed in March 2019 but when he was expecting to be released, a new case was opened for him and was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

13.Abdoljabbar Hasani – arrest: 2012 – charges: acting against the national security and waging war against God (Moharebeh) through membership in a Salafi group – sentence: 10 years imprisonment – health condition: he suffers from neck arthritis and kidney stone.

14.Foad Babaei – arrest: 2012 – his charges and details of his case are not known – sentence: 10 years imprisonment – health condition: he suffers from herniated discs and vision of one of his eyes is severely distorted.

15.Mokhtar Kakaei – arrest: 2014 – his charges and details of his case are not known – sentence: 15 years imprisonment – health condition: because of he was severely hit in his head during interrogation, he is having difficulty in his hearings in both ears. He also suffers from foot ache.

16.Abdolaziz Pirabi – arrest: 2016 – his charges and details of his case are not known – sentence: 15 years imprisonment – health condition: he suffers from severe headaches and has fainted several times.

18.Ahmad Anjezari – arrest: 2014 – his charges and details of his case are not known – sentence: 15 years imprisonment

19.Adnan Hosseini – arrest: 2016 – his charges and details of his case are not known – sentence: 15 years imprisonment – notes: he was a store owner at Paveh Border Market before being arrested.

20.Yasin Abbas Joubi – arrest: 2014 – his charges and details of his case are not known – sentence: 15 years imprisonment.

21.Kamran Sheikheh – arrest: January 2011 – charges: involvement in assassination of Mamusta Abdolrahim Tina, membership in Salafi groups, corruption on earth, act against the national security, and propaganda against the state – sentence: death.

22.Farhad Salimi – arrest: January 2011 – charges: involvement in assassination of Mamusta Abdolrahim Tina, membership in Salafi groups, corruption on earth, act against the national security, and propaganda against the state – sentence: death.

23.Anvar Khezri – arrest: January 2011 – charges: involvement in assassination of Mamusta Abdolrahim Tina, membership in Salafi groups, corruption on earth, act against the national security, and propaganda against the state – sentence: death – health condition: he suffers from respiratory diseased due to tortures during his detention. The physicians believe that his condition is because he was hit hard on his chest.

24.Ayoub Karimi – arrest: January 2011 – charges: involvement in assassination of Mamusta Abdolrahim Tina, membership in Salafi groups, corruption on earth, act against the national security, and propaganda against the state – sentence: death.

25.Ali Mafakheri – arrest: 2014 – charges: leaving the country illegally and act against the national security – sentence: 1o years imprisonment – notes: his sentence was initially rejected by the Supreme Court but was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by judge Salavati.

27.Hossein Palani – arrest: 2016 – charge: cooperation with ISIS – notes: he has been in a limo state from the time of his arrest. The first and only session to investigate his charges was held five months ago. He and Ahmad Abdolrahman used to sell foreign currencies (Dollars) before being arrested.

28.Yasin Mahmoudian – arrest: 2017 – charges: membership and cooperation with ISIS and waging war against God (Moharebeh) – sentence: death – notes: he was arrested at his residence after the armed attack to the Parliament. He was charged with providing a vehicle for the attackers to the Parliament.

29.Fereidoun Zakeri Nasab – arrest: 2017 – charges: membership and cooperation with ISIS and waging war against God (Moharebeh) – sentence: death – notes: he was arrested at his residence after the armed attack to the Parliament. He was charged with providing a vehicle for the attackers to the Parliament.

30.Mohammad Abdolrahman – arrest: 2014 – charges: leaving the country illegally and act against the national security – sentence: 10 years imprisonment – notes: he is a citizen of Iraq. He claimed that he traveled to Iran to meet his friend, Ali Mafakheri. He was a construction worker before being arrested. Three years ago, the authorities promised to release him earlier, but he has not yet been released.

31.Ahmad Abdolrahman – arrest: 2016 – charge: cooperation with ISIS – notes: he is a citizen of Iraq. He has been in a limo state since he was arrested. The first and only session to investigate his charges was held five months ago. He and Hossein Palani used to sell foreign currencies (Dollars) before being arrested.

HRANA News Agency – After the execution of at least 20 Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, fears and concerns about the fate of other prisoners in the prison with the similar charges and cases have increased. Among the death row prisoners of “Tohid and Jahad” case, only two prisoners, including a juvenile offender have survived from recent mass-executions of Sunni prisoners in Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj. Due to unprecedented and unexpected recent mass-executions of Sunni prisoners they spend their days in fear of a similar death along 50 Sunni prisoners in the prison, 9 of whom have also been sentenced to death.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), after mass-executions of Sunni prisoners at Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj on August 1 only 20 of the executions were officially confirmed. (more…)

HRANA News Agency – Lack of transparency of Iranian judiciary has caused a confusion about the fate of death row Sunni prisoners who had been taken to solitary confinements on Monday. In the newest remarks, the Attorney General has declared the number of executed prisoners to be 20. Such a high number of executions is in itself rare.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), after 36 death row Sunni prisoners were taken unexpectedly to solitary confinements of Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, the families of at least 21 of them were summoned to the prison for the last visit. However none of them managed to show up in the prison because of long distances and abnormal rush in carrying out the executions. (more…)

HRANA News Agency – Some minutes ago, the Sunni death row prisoners who are being kept in the IRGC’s solitary confinements in Rajai Shahr Prison after learning about the mass-executions of their fellows began to protest. They were beaten by the prison guard as they were handcuffed and shackled. Other Sunni prisoners in hall 7 have gone on hunger strike. The warning alarm is to be heard in the prison.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), 10 to 29 of 36 Sunni prisoners who had been transferred to IRGC’s solitary confinements in Rajai Shahr Prison were executed this morning. (more…)

HRANA News Agency – The Sunni prisoners of hall 7 of ward 21 of Rajai Shahr prison have gone on hunger strike in protest at mass-execution of Sunni prisoners which occurred today morning.

The situation in Rajai Shahr Prison is very tense.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), the Sunni prisoners of hall 7 of ward 21 of Rajai Shahr Prison have gone on hunger strike “to protest at executing their friends and expressing their condolences to the families of the executed prisoners.” (more…)

HRANA News Agency – Dozens of Sunni prisoners were executed in Rajai Shahr Prison in Karaj. The families confirmed that they had seen the corpses of these prisoners in Kahrizak forensics.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA), at least 36 Sunni death row prisoners of ward 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison had been handcuffed, shackled, blindfolded and taken to solitary confinements to be executed. (more…)

HRANA News Agency – Last night, in an unexampled raid, 36 Sunni death row prisoners of ward 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison were handcuffed, shackled and blindfolded by the prison guard and taken to solitary confinements. The families of at least 21 prisoners have been summoned to the prison to have their last visit before the executions.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 36 Sunni death row prisoners of ward 10 of Rajai Shahr Prison have been taken to solitary confinements to be executed. (more…)

HRANA News Agency – Abdolrahman Sangani – Sunni prisoner who is sentenced to death is being deprived of any medical treatment.

According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran (HRANA) , Abdolrahman Sangani was arrested on February 2010 after being summoned to the court and imprisoned in solitary confinement in ward 240 of Evin prison in Tehran. He was transferred to Rajai shar prison of Karaj after being in solitary for 18 months and was sentenced to death in court by judge Moqayyeseh. (more…)